Novel compositions suitable for fabrication of CO2-selective membranes
are disclosed. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to compositions
comprising polyimide/polyamine blends and copolymers, and to compositions comprising
interfacially polymerized polyamides. In another aspect this invention is directed
to novel CO2-selective membranes comprising such polyimide/polyamine
blends and copolymers, and to novel CO2-selective membranes comprising
interfacially polymerized polyamides. In yet another aspect, the present invention
is directed to a novel water-gas-shift (WGS) reactor comprising the novel CO2-selective
membranes. Advantageously, the use of the novel CO2-selective membrane
allows alteration of the normal WGS reaction equilibrium, shifting the reaction
towards production of H2. Carbon dioxide on the high pressure, feed
gas side of the membrane reactor reacts with the novel membranes of the present
invention at the interface between the feed gas and the membrane. The reaction
product permeates through the membrane to the interface between the feed gas and
the low pressure side of the membrane, where the CO2 desorbs into the
low pressure side and is removed.